At the same time—
In the world known as the Lostbelt...
A blonde girl in a gorgeous dress was stumbling as she fled, barely evading the faeries' search parties.
She curled up in a damp, cramped tree hollow, her frail body shivering from the cold.
Her tear-reddened eyes were filled with confusion—and a hatred that would not burn out.
Half an hour ago, she had just experienced a betrayal.
She and the Knights of the Round Table under her command had been invited to a faerie banquet to discuss the founding of a new kingdom.
But those vile, despicable faerie beasts had laced the wine at the banquet with enough poison to kill.
Catching them completely off guard, she and the Knights of the Round Table drank the poisoned wine and fell right into the beasts' trap.
Even as the savior, she had been poisoned all the same.
All she could do was watch as her subordinates were cruelly tortured to death by the faeries.
Only thanks to the Knights of the Round Table staking their lives to protect her had she barely managed to escape.
But those damned faeries had no intention of letting her go.
Outside, search teams were scouring every corner for her.
If she was discovered, only death awaited her.
"Why..."
"Why did it turn out like this..."
"These hypocritical, vile beasts..."
"We were the ones who protected you, who let you live in peace!"
"We gave you peace and happiness—so why would you do something like this!?"
The blonde girl could no longer suppress her emotions; they broke out as sobbing filled with regret.
Faced with these damned beasts...
Poison running through her veins, the blonde girl could do nothing at all.
Her body was growing weaker and weaker, and she could no longer use magecraft.
All she could do was hide inside the tree hollow, clinging to a humiliating, lingering half-life.
(I've spent thousands of years... struggling all the way to this point...)
(Even after coming this far, is it still no good...)
(Someone... someone please help me...)
Her hatred crumbled into despair, surging through the girl's shattered heart like a raging tidal wave.
Just as her mind was about to snap—
A deep-blue virtual screen appeared out of thin air...
A gentle voice echoed in the girl's mind...
...
[As long as you accept the invitation, all your troubles will be resolved.]
...
Staring at the text displayed on the screen...
Listening to the voice by her ear...
"I accept..."
The girl who had already fallen into despair was like a tormented soul in hell, grasping at the spider's thread leading to heaven.
She poured all her confusion and helplessness into the chat group...
Sending it to that mysterious figure respectfully addressed as the [Group Owner]...
...
Inside the chat group...
[Aesc the Savior: Someone, tell me what I'm supposed to do!]
[Aesc the Savior: This place is hell!]
...
Kane sat in his chair, watching lines of messages flash across the golden screen.
As he read, he also browsed through the various functions inside the chat group.
These functions would all become his power-ups—
And in the not-too-distant future, bring him abundant rewards.
...
[Group Red Packet: Members can use this function to send items to a designated member.]
[Group Contract: Sign contracts with group members. Those who break the contract will be severely punished.]
[Group Transfer: A privilege unique to the Group Owner. Can open cross-world transfer gates.]
[Group Permissions: You can mute members and inflict certain punishments.]
...
The name [Aesc the Savior] felt unfamiliar to him for a moment.
But very soon—
Kane remembered the identity hidden behind that alias.
The faerie queen who ruled over the Sixth Lostbelt: Morgan.
If he was right, this should be the very night when she finally saw reality for what it was and completed her metamorphosis.
On this day, the naïve Aesc the Savior would die forever.
And the cold-blooded Queen Morgan would ascend and rule like the dead of winter—
Until the Master of Chaldea arrived...
Under her iron-fisted rule, the faerie kingdom that had endured for thousands of years would meet its end amid pain and despair.
Pain.
It hurt.
Just thinking about the plot of the Sixth Lostbelt made Kane's face twist with pained memories.
Sensing what was about to happen next, Kane took a deep breath. He decided to intervene.
...
Inside the chat group...
[Group Owner: True peace must be enforced through overwhelming power.]
[Group Owner: Naïve little Miss Savior, you're far too merciful.]
...
Kane posted his opinion in the group chat, offering the girl his "advice."
Almost the instant he sent his message, new replies popped up on the golden screen.
...
Inside the chat group...
[Aesc the Savior: Are you saying I'm the one who's wrong?]
[Aesc the Savior: I don't understand what you mean!]
...
Reading the girl's reply, Kane realized she was standing right on the brink of her transformation.
With that thought...
The corners of his lips curled slightly.
Since she had already taken the bait, it was time for him to squeeze some benefits out of this group member.
...
Inside the chat group...
[Group Owner: Accessing forbidden knowledge comes at a price.]
[Group Owner: I can solve your problems. What are you prepared to offer in exchange?]
[Aesc the Savior: I really do want to trade with you, but I have nothing left now.]
[Group Owner: You're far from having nothing, naïve and innocent Miss Savior.]
[Group Owner: You still possess a gift of wisdom so great that even the gods would envy it.]
[Aesc the Savior: I... I don't understand...]
[Group Owner: I want you to assist me in my training, until I completely master the Second Magic.]
[Aesc the Savior: Second Magic?]
[Group Owner: You only need to answer: accept, or refuse.]
[Aesc the Savior: I accept.]
...
Inside the study—
Seeing her reply, Kane immediately used his Group Owner privileges.
He drafted an employment contract and sent it directly into the group.
The contents were actually very simple.
Morgan had to sincerely assist him until he perfectly mastered the Second Magic.
During the contract's duration, if he were ever in danger, Morgan was obligated to come to his aid.
In any circumstance, Morgan was forbidden from doing anything that would harm his interests.
Only with the constraints of this contract in place could he be at ease and trust in her sincerity.
In the Lostbelt—
Inside the damp tree hollow...
The curled-up blonde girl stared in surprise at the virtual contract that had popped up before her, her cute face frozen for a moment.
She tapped open the envelope and carefully read through the contents. Only after confirming there were no terms that put her at a disadvantage did she sign her name.
And then—
The contract turned into golden light and poured into the girl's brow.
Her expression grew momentarily blank; even her heartbeat skipped half a beat.
On some unseen level...
It was as if she had received a warning—
If she dared harbor ill intent and violate the contract, she would die a death of a thousand cuts.
...
Inside the chat group...
[Aesc the Savior: I've signed the contract. You can tell me the method now, right?]
[Group Owner: Have you heard of "mass generational selective breeding"?]
[Aesc the Savior: ...?]
[Group Owner: It's a way to raise "livestock."]
[Aesc the Savior: Could you explain in more detail?]
[Group Owner: From a large population, you carefully select the most docile, fastest-growing livestock.]
[Group Owner: You confine these docile animals in an enclosed space and have them breed a new population.]
[Group Owner: Then, from that new population, you select livestock that are even more obedient and grow even faster.]
[Group Owner: You repeat this process over and over, breeding ever "better" stocks.]
[Group Owner: After just a few generations of selection, the results become very noticeable.]
[Aesc the Savior: Ah—this...!]
[Aesc the Savior: I think you might be going a bit too far!]
...
(End of Chapter)
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